New Eagle

More important last week than the passage of the resolution extending the remnants of NRA until April 1, 1936 was Senator Huey Long's filibuster against that measure. The filibuster resulted in Long's losing a fat wad of prestige, and the methods used to break his obstructionism, having once been found, are not likely to be forgotten, whereas NRA, as extended, can have no prestige, must be forgotten soon.

Through three prenatal stages went the resolution for NRA extension:

1) Before the Supreme Court declared codes unenforceable, the Senate passed a milk-&-water resolution providing that NRA should be extended but codes should not apply to intrastate commerce (TIME, May 27).

2) Fortnight ago the House passed the resolution, diluting it with more water by providing that no codes should be imposed or enforced but leaving the way open for employers to make voluntary codes and thereby gain exemption from anti-trust laws.

3) Last week, at 6 a. m., after an all-night session with Huey Long, the Senate again amended the resolution, extracting the last drop of milk. In future any voluntary codes may cover hours of work and rates of pay but do not protect coded industries "against existing laws, including the anti-trust laws."

With virtually no bait remaining to induce businessmen to accept codes, and no force to compel them to do so, NRA now exists as a skeleton statistical organization whose chief job is to look up facts & figures to prove how good conditions were under the Blue Eagle, how bad after the Eagle fell to earth.

Though House leaders grumbled at the Senate's amendment, they had no time to squabble over it. Urged on by President Roosevelt they presented the resolution to the House which rubber-stamped it, 336-to-31, two days before the old NRA expired. Then in an all-embracing executive order the President decreed the new setup:

P: The National Industrial Recovery Board was replaced by a new one-man Acting Administrator, James L. O'Neill, vice president of Manhattan's Guaranty Trust Co., for the last six months a member of the NRA staff. P: A "Division of Review" (to gather statistics) was put in charge of Leon C. Marshall, member of the late NIRB. P: A "Division of Business Cooperation" (voluntary codes) was headed by Prentiss I. Coonley, ex-pipe-fitting manufacturer, recently assistant to Donald Richberg. P: As assistant NRAdministrator, George L. Berry of the A. F. of L. and member of the late NIRB was appointed. P: Created to give advice was a council consisting of old NRA workers: Charles Edison, Philip Murray. William Green, Walton H. Hamilton, Emily Newell Blair and Howell Cheney.

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